Social Security: What happens to your October check if the government shuts down?

Unless Congress acts quickly, funding for the federal government will expire at midnight on September 30, 2024, when the budget year ends. On Wednesday the House of Representatives has failed to approve a short-term financing bill that would keep the government afloat until March 2025.

Congress often struggles to approve the federal government’s annual budget, which consists of 12 budget bills that must be approved by the House and Senate before the president can sign them. To give itself time to agree on the annual budget, Congress often passes short-term budget bills, called continuing resolutions, which allow the government to keep running while the House and Senate work out the details of the longer-term budget. Congress passed four short-term budget bills before agreeing on this year’s budget. But if Congress misses the Oct. 1 deadline without approving some form of funding, the government will shut down.

If a shutdown does indeed occur and you normally receive Social Security or other government benefits, you may be wondering whether you will still get your October paycheck if the Social Security Administration and IRS close.

Below, we explain what can happen to Social Security benefits if the government shuts down. For more information, here are Four Ways You Can Lose Your Social Security Benefits and here is What Experts Predict COLA Will Be Like in 2025.

Will I receive my social security benefits if the government is closed?

In the event of a federal government shutdown, each agency determines which services are essential and must continue during the funding shortfall.

In 2023, while expecting a shutdown, Chad M. Poist, the Social Security Administration’s deputy commissioner for budget, finance and management, said outline the agency’s emergency plan (PDF). While he expected the administration to lay off 53,000 of its 60,000 employees and suspend activities not directly related to benefit payments, he said the agency would “continue activities that are critical to our direct service delivery and that are necessary to ensure accurate and timely payment of benefits.”

What does that mean for you?

Social Security benefits come from a different source of funding than the annual budget — the special payroll taxes that employers and employees pay — and the benefits are paid out of these Social Security trust funds. If you are one of the nearly 72 million Americans If you receive Social Security benefits or participate in other programs (see below), you will still receive your monthly benefit.

This includes Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Please note that if you have problems with your payments, it may take a while before you receive a response from the Social Security Administration.

Below you will find the government benefits that may be affected by a closure.

What other federal programs are not affected by a government shutdown?

If you receive Medicaid or Medicareyou can also expect to receive those benefits on time. If you are having problems, you may have to wait a while before you hear anything if there is a shutdown.

You may lose WIC and SNAP benefits

If you are a recipient of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), you run the risk of losing your benefits immediately if the government shuts down.

If you are one of the 40 million Americans Those who receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will still have your benefits available, but only for a limited time, as the USDA can only provide benefits for 30 days after a closure begins.

Your student finance and student loans may be delayed

In preparation for a possible closure in 2023, the Ministry of Education has said Student aid and loan programs may be disrupted, including the processing of applications for federal student aid (FAFSA), the distribution of Pell Grants and federal direct student loans, and the processing of federal student loans.

To ensure your benefits arrive on time, here’s the Social Security payment schedule, here’s when SSDI checks will be sent, and here’s when you can expect your SSI payment.